Simple

Harmonic
Motion
AP Physics C
Mrs. Coyle

Periodic Motion
A motion of an object that repeats with a
constant period.

http://www.sccs.swarthmore.edu/users/08/ajb/e71/lab1/

Simple Harmonic Motion

It is a periodic motion.
AND
It has a restoring force that acts to restore
the oscillator to equilibrium. The restoring
force is given by:

Hookes Law

F=-kx

x is the displacement from equilibrium and k is the

force constant (spring constant).

The period of SHM oscillator does not depend

on the amplitude.

Simple Harmonic Motion

Simulations
http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?
action=mininav&bcsId=3606&itemId=0471
758019&assetId=111700&resourceId=102
11
-SHM
-Particle oscillating in SHM

Calculating k from a F vs x Graph

k is the slope of a F vs x graph

Remember:
For springs in
series:
1/keff = 1/k1 + 1/k2
For springs in
parallel:
keff = k1 + k2

The acceleration in SHM is not

constant:

FHooke FNewton
kx ma x
k
ax x
m

Acceleration in Simple
Harmonic Motion
2

Acceleration

Let

k

m
2

a = -2x

d x
k
a 2 x
dt
m

Characteristic Quantities of Simple

Harmonic Motion
Displacement
Amplitude: maximum displacement
Frequency
Period
f=1/T

T=1/f

Simple Harmonic Motion

Velocity:
maximum as it
passes through
equilibrium
zero as it passes
through the extreme
positions in its
oscillation.

Acceleration:
a=F/m = -kx/m
-maximum at extreme
points
-zero at equilibrium

Equations of MotionDisplacement
x=Asin(t)
x=-Asin(t)

or

x=Acos(t
x=-Acos(t)

angular frequency, rad/s

is the phase constant

Example
x

a) What is the amplitude?

b) What is the period?
c) What total distance does the particle travel in
one period?

Example
x

Write the equation of motion for the above oscillator.

Answer:
x=-0.5sin(t)

Note
The acceleration is not constant and
therefore the kinematics equations cannot
be used.

There are two options:

1.Use conservation of mechanical energy to
find v at a given position.
E= mv2 + kx2 = constant or
2. Take the first derivative of x (equation of
motion) to find v and the second derivative
to find a.

Remember

(sin ax )
a cos ax
x
(cos ax )
a sin ax
x

Examples of Motion Equations

for Simple Harmonic Motion
x (t ) A cos ( t )
dx
v
A sin ( t )
dt
2
d x
2
a 2 A cos ( t )
dt

k
vmax A
A
m
k
2
amax A A
m

Graphs of
SHM
The velocity is 90o
out of phase with
the displacement
The acceleration is
180o out of phase
with the
displacement

Example 1
t=0
x (0)= A
v (0) = 0
=0
amax = 2A
vmax = A

Example 2
t=0
x (0)=0
v (0) = vi

= /2
The graph is shifted
one-quarter cycle to the
right compared to the
graph of x (0) = A

Period and Frequency

2
2
T

m
T 2
,
k

k

m
2

k
m

Period of A Spring Mass Oscillator

____
T=2m/k

m mass
k spring constant
T does not depend on g
The period is smaller for a stiffer spring
(large values of k).

Harmonic Motion of a Pendulum

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com:8100/legacy/college/halliday/0471320005/simulati
ons6e/index.htm?newwindow=true

Period
___
T=2L/g
L

L=length of string
T depends on g

Question
If you had a spring-mass system on the
moon, would the period be the same or
different than that of this system on the
earth?
What if it were a pendulum system?